sonicwfandomcom-20200216-history
Gran Turismo 2
|NA|December 23, 1999 |EU|January 28, 2000}} | genre = Sim racing | modes = Single-player, multiplayer }} is a racing game for the Sony PlayStation. ''Gran Turismo 2 was developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1999. It is the sequel to Gran Turismo. It was well-received publicly and critically, shipping 1.71 million copies in Japan, 20,000 in Southeast Asia, 3.96 million in North America, and 3.68 million in Europe for a total of 9.37 million copies as of April 30, 2008, and eventually becoming a Sony Greatest Hits game. The title received an average of 93% in Metacritic's aggregate. Gameplay Gran Turismo 2 is fundamentally based on the racing game genre. The player must maneuver an automobile to compete against artificially intelligent drivers on various race tracks. The game uses two different modes: Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode (Gran Turismo Mode in PAL and Japanese versions). In the arcade mode, the player can freely choose vehicles they wish to use, and can enable damage. However, the simulation mode requires the player to earn driver's licenses, pay for vehicles, and earn trophies in order to unlock new and returning courses. Gran Turismo 2 features nearly 650 automobiles and 27 racing tracks, including rally tracks. Compared with Gran Turismo, the gameplay, physics and graphics are very similar: the only real noticeable difference in vehicle dynamics was the brakes, which became much less likely to lock up and cause the vehicle to oversteer. The major changes are the vastly expanded number of cars, tracks and races in simulation mode. Other differences include that the player can race events separately, if they do not want to enter the whole tournament. The player is no longer able to "qualify" for each race entered. Development After the unexpected success of Gran Turismo, lead developer Kazunori Yamauchi planned to make Gran Turismo 2 "an even better product".IGN Staff (February 10, 1999). "Gran Turismo 2 Gets the Nod". IGN. Retrieved March 11, 2014. SCEA's marketing director (Ami Blaire) had high hopes, stating "the overwhelming and continuing popularity of Gran Turismo clearly positions Gran Turismo 2 to be one of the hottest titles available for the holidays and beyond".IGN Staff (September 3, 1999). "Sony Stakes December 7 for Gran Turismo 2". IGN. Retrieved March 11, 2014. Jack Tretton (sales vice president of SCEA) had similar enthusiasm, expecting Gran Turismo 2 to "fly off the shelves faster than the original, continuing the momentum of this incredible franchise".IGN Staff (December 14, 1999). "Gran Turismo 2 Hits Stores in Two Days". IGN. Retrieved March 11, 2014. Upon the game's release, players shortly found various errors and glitches. SCEA did not ignore the outcry, and offered a replacement if any problems occurred.IGN Staff (January 20, 2000). "Sony Answers GT2 Questions". IGN. Retrieved March 11, 2014. For example, the maximum attainable completion percentage was 98.2%. Another glitch was that no matter what, even if a player saves the game, cars can disappear from their garage."Gran Turismo 2 glitches before its release". A third glitch was that certain cars would appear in the wrong races. This was most significant in the 30-lap Trial Mountain endurance race, where a 680 bhp Vector M12 LM edition may appear despite a 295 horsepower entry restriction, effectively making the race nearly impossible to win. The reason for the maximum completion percentage falling short is due to a planned drag racing mode that was never implemented. Cars At the time of its release, GT2 featured one of the largest lists of then new and historic cars available in a single computer game, tallied at nearly 650 cars. GT2 contained 36 manufacturers, ranging from Acura (NTSC-U version only; other versions used the Honda brand name), BMW, Peugeot to Venturi. In comparison, the original Gran Turismo and GT3 A-Spec had fewer than 200 each. For the first time in the series, manufacturers from France, Germany, and Italy were added, in turn allowing for a global Gran Turismo championship. Certain notable manufacturers, such as Ferrari and Porsche, were not featured since the required licenses could not be obtained. Ruf was added as an alternative to Porsche: Ruf is a separate manufacturer from Porsche under U.S. and German law. Certain cars, such as the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, were also cut from the game due to licensing issues. Gran Turismo 2 was the first game of the series to feature the Vauxhall/Opel brands. In the NTSC-U (Americas) and NTSC-J (Japan) versions, the Opel brand was used, whilst the PAL (Europe) version featured Vauxhall when the game is set to use English language, with Opel being available in other languages. This led to a loophole in which the player could complete the one-make races for both Opel and Vauxhall, giving a completion score of 100.91%. Music The opening song for the North American and PAL versions is "My Favourite Game" by The Cardigans. The PAL version has the Faithless Remix of the song. In some introductions of the North American releases, the song was cut such that it played differently after one minute. The opening song for the Japanese version is "Moon Over the Castle" (the Gran Turismo series theme). The game further increased the number of tracks on-disc by separating Arcade Mode and Simulation Mode (Gran Turismo Mode for the PAL and Japanese versions) onto two discs. This allowed for more space to place audio. The PAL version has a different soundtrack, and has songs that the American version doesn't, such as "Illin' in Heaven" by Fatboy Slim. The American version has songs like "I Think I'm Paranoid" by Garbage, and "Now is the Time" by The Crystal Method, whereas the PAL version did not. Reception | Allgame = | Edge = 9/10 | EGM = 10/10 | EuroG = 9/10 | Fam = 34/40 | GamePro = | GameRev = A− | GSpot = 8.5/10 | IGN = 9.8/10 | OPM = }} Gran Turismo 2 "critical acclaim", according to review aggregator Metacritic. GameSpot rated it 8.5 out of 10, recommending it to any gamer, car enthusiast or not, while IGN rated the game a 9.8/10. In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 34 out of 40. Gran Turismo 2 was a bestseller for two months in Japan,Dengeki PlayStation sales chart, March 2000, published in Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 56 and for two months in the UK,UK Playstation sales chart, June 2000, published in Official UK PlayStation Magazine issue 59 and has sold 9.37 million copies worldwide. Official UK PlayStation Magazine listed the game as the 4th best of all time.Official UK PlayStation Magazine Desert Island Games feature, issue 108, Future Publishing, March 2004, page 61 It received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom. See also *Music of the Gran Turismo series References External links * * [http://www.granturismo2.com/ Gran Turismo 2 microsite] * Category:1999 video games Category:Gran Turismo (series) Category:PlayStation (console) games Category:PlayStation (console)-only games Category:Video game sequels Category:Racing video games set in the United States Category:Video games set in Colorado Category:Video games set in California Category:Video games set in Seattle Category:Video games set in Rome Category:Video games set in Oceania Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games Category:Split-screen multiplayer games Category:Video games developed in Japan